The Araca Group presents the return of AracaWorks, a week-long series of play readings celebrating new work for the theatre, Dec. 5-9 at Ars Nova.

John Doyle
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

The free readings, scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM, are new plays at an early stage of development. AracaWorks pairs each playwright with a director and a group of New York actors. In addition, the series presents a play by the winner of the AracaWorks graduate playwriting award.

Kicking off the series Dec. 5 is Edgar and Annabel, written by Sam Holcroft (While You Lie at the Traverse, Edinburgh; Pink at the Tricycle) and directed by Raz Shaw. Here's how the play is described: "A young married couple prepares dinner in a smartly furnished kitchen. Annabel is composed, intelligent, in love. Edgar is professional, successful, assured. She’s chopping vegetables, he’s brought the wine. But something isn’t right. In a city not so different from our own capital, a group of freedom fighters attempt to stand up to an Orwellian establishment in increasingly perilous circumstances. The story that unfolds brings into question relationships, identities and the very nature of reality itself."

Following Edgar and Annabel will be Acapulco, held Dec. 6. Written by Jacquelyn Reingold (String Fever at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Girl Gone at MCC), the play is directed by Tony winner John Rando (Urinetown). Acapulco, described as "a swinging 60s kind of comedy with a 2012 point of view," centers around "almost divorced Doris, her lying husband, her scheming laundress mother-in-law, her chest-hair-dying boyfriend, a mysterious woman who's really a man, and the Whore of Brooklyn."

Kenneth Lin's (Fallow, Intelligence-Slave, Life on Paper) Warrior Class will be held Dec. 7 and is directed by Tony winner John Doyle (Sweeney Todd). Here's how Warrior Class is billed: "Julius Lee is a fast-rising Asian politician in the New York state assembly. But will an incident from his past be his undoing as he seeks the US Congress?"

Recall, written by Eli Clark (Edgewise, "The Killing") and directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, will be held Dec. 8. In Recall, "Lucy makes people uncomfortable," according to press notes. "There’s something about her eyes. There’s something about the way her mother’s boyfriends keep disappearing. And there’s something about the government agents on her trail. Boundaries of love and trust are pushed in this fierce and funny play." Concluding the series will be Caroline McGraw's (winner of the AracaWorks Graduate Playwriting Award) The Vaults, directed by Sarah Benson. Here's how the play is described: "In the twisting tunnels below Edinburgh, four American friends take a tour of the city's famous vaults. When one of them vanishes without a trace, those left behind must unravel his disappearance, grappling with unfriendly ghosts, suspicious police, fringe festival actors—and their own dark natures."

AracaWorks premiered in December 2010, showcasing both established playwrights and emerging voices. Past slates have featured the New York premieres of Suicide, Incorporated by Andrew Hinderaker (Roundabout Underground); How the World Began by Catherine Trieschmann (South Coast Repertory); and Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar (American Theater Company).

The Ars Nova building is located at 511 West 54th Street. For more information and reservations, visit www.aracaworks.com.